According to North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim Jong Un said his government will fully support Chinese efforts to achieve territorial integrity based on its 'one-China principle'. The meeting marked Wang Yi's first visit to North Korea in seven years, arriving in Pyongyang on Thursday. Wang Yi, who met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, said the countries' relations were entering a 'new phase' following a summit last year between Kim Jong Un and Chinese President Xi Jinping. State media outlets from both countries reported that the foreign ministers discussed ways to facilitate further cooperation and exchanges and held 'in-depth' talks on international issues. China's Xinhua news agency said they discussed current international and regional issues but did not specify what those issues were. KCNA reported they also agreed to strengthen strategic communication between their agencies handling foreign policy.
The visit comes as North Korea and China last month resumed direct flight and passenger train services, which had been suspended since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Wang Yi's trip also precedes U.S. President Donald Trump's rescheduled summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing in May. Some South Korean officials have expressed hope that the Trump-Xi meeting could provide a diplomatic opening with Pyongyang. However, Kim Jong Un has suspended all meaningful dialogue with the U.S. and South Korea since the collapse of his diplomacy with Trump in 2019. He has taken a hard-line stance toward South Korea, which he now defines as his 'most hostile' adversary, and rejected U.S. offers to resume talks.
Kim Jong Un said his government will fully support Chinese efforts to achieve territorial integrity based on its 'one-China principle'.
Kim Jong Un outlined North Korea's position on unspecified regional and international issues of 'mutual concern' and said sustained development of ties between the two countries has become more crucial in the current geopolitical environment, according to KCNA. The state media outlets did not mention whether Wang and North Korean officials discussed issues related to the U.S. or the ongoing war in the Middle East. The exact nature of the discussions remains unclear.
Separately, the Russian Defense Ministry said Russia and North Korea have agreed on a 'long-term' military cooperation covering the years 2027–2031. Multiple reports, including from South Korean intelligence, indicate that North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers, missiles, and ammunition to support Russia's war against Ukraine, in exchange for economic support and military technology that helps North Korea circumvent harsh sanctions. The Russian Defense Ministry also said a memorial monument for soldiers killed in combat operations for Russia is being inaugurated during the visit. Russian President Vladimir Putin said he wants to thank the soldiers who participated in the combat operations in the Kursk region and honor the fallen heroes.
Wang Yi said the countries' relations were entering a 'new phase' following a summit last year between Kim Jong Un and Chinese President Xi Jinping.